Coachella 2013: The xx's Romy Madley Croft on Losing Control and Liquid Courage

Finding The xx a few hours before they were scheduled to take the main stage on the second night of the festival was equal parts Almost Famous and Fear and Loathing. Winding through the maze of temporary corridors invisible to concertgoers shimmying to the sounds of Violent Femmes, we marveled at the spectacle—the rustic trailers, the bearded roadies, the sweaty beer cans—that makes Coachella, perhaps the best-oiled North American fest, hum. After spotting Harley Viera-Newton, who in an A-line, paperweight frock and Lennon-esque frames, might as well have been Joni Mitchell backstage at Big Sur, we were confronted by a barrage of weather-logged security guards who didn't give a hoot about a media pass. But with some perseverance and a wide-eyed appreciation for the sanctity of the secret society, we were momentarily granted access. There, we finally found the lovely Romy Madley Croft, the band's soft-spoken, alabaster frontwoman, tucked away at a picnic table nestled safely between two oversize trailers.

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ELLE: We've read that The xx loves performing at festivals. What's the difference between the average gig and Coachella?

Romy Madley Croft: It's a different kind of rush. [Jamie Smith, Oliver Sim, and I] are kind of control freaks so we love being at a venue and being able to make sure that we can have the lights the way want, but at a festival you have no control. You just go on and hope for the best. I'm so nervous. I have that butterfly feeling, which is good because after being on tour and doing shows every night, you get confident in it. It's nice to feel so nervous again.

ELLE: Do you think being outside of your comfort zone pushes you as an artist?

RMC:: Yeah! I think so. At a festival like Coachella, you're not necessarily playing for your fans. You're playing to some, but there is also a lot of people that have maybe heard one of your songs, but aren't quite fans yet, so you feel like you have something to prove.

ELLE: Do you find that Coachella is as authentic of an experience for a performer as a Woodstock or an Altamont?

RMC: It definitely is, amongst musicians I've spoken to, a big deal to be here and to be on the main stage. In America, at least, this is kind of the biggest festival. We played here in 2010 and that was the most people we'd ever played for at that point. We'd gone from playing for 100 people at a little club to like 20,000 people and it is just crazy to think, 'Wow, all these people have come to see us.' It was a very memorable moment.

ELLE: Can you see the crowd while you are performing?

RMC: Last time we were up there, it was just before sunset, and we could see the expanse of people just going on and on. This time, we are going to be playing in the dark [the band took the stage at 10:10 p.m.], and it helps because we can't see how many people there are. It's just darkness.

ELLE: You guys obviously have a rapport with the fashion community. What's your favorite spot in the U.K.?

RMC: There's a place in Dalston, in England, called LNCC, where you have to make an appointment in order to shop. It's this very interesting space and they have some great pieces from Ann Demeulemeester [motions to her own leather, mid-heel ankle boots from the designer]. They do a lot of really cool stuff.

ELLE: You've played at a lot of amazing venues, but what is one place that's still on your bucket list?

RMC: I think playing on the main stage here at Coachella is a big one. And we will be checking that one off tonight! The sheer scale of the main stage is incredible. It's massive! The amount of people who come to see you, it's just more pressure. When I think about myself as a teenager going to festivals, you look to the main stage as the main entertainment of the night. Now that we are playing higher up on the bills, I feel that pressure. I want to deliver to these people. I want to make their Saturday night fun!

ELLE: What are you guys going to do after you perform? How do you plan on blowing off steam?

RMC:We've had our minds on this for a while so I haven't been partying, but I'm gonna party after this. I just decided to abstain today, and then as soon as I go on stage, I get to have a drink. So that will be fun. I can finally chill.